Dear Friends,
Grace and Peace to you in the name of our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Normally, I prefer to use this newsletter space as an opportunity to share perspective on an uplifting message or quote that I have heard in recent days. Or, as an opportunity to talk about a recent or upcoming church holiday or season. Or, to talk about a current event in life or ministry.

However, this month I find it necessary to clear up some misinformation that has been spread about Lutheran Social Services (LSS) in the news recently. Lutheran Social Services is part of a Pan-Lutheran group known as Lutheran Services in America, which is a network of over 300 health and human services across the United States.

Many of my colleagues took to social media to voice their concerns over the misinformation that was spread on X (formerly known as Twitter) by Elon Musk and General Michael Flynn, as  Musk inferred that LSS receiving funding is illegal and Flynn inferred that LSS was participating in money laundering by receiving the funding. Quoted below is the most succinct and least politically inflammatory response that I could find to the assertions made by Musk and Flynn. It comes from Pastor Lorne Hlad:

“The posts by Elon Musk and General Mike Flynn contain completely false and misleading claims about Lutheran Social Services (LSS) and federal funding.

Let’s break this down:

-Lutheran Social Services (LSS) is a legitimate nonprofit that has worked for decades to support refugees, foster children, low-income families, and disaster relief efforts. They receive federally approved grants—not “illegal payments.”

-Federal grants are publicly documented and congressionally approved. These funds are not “laundered.” They are legally allocated to charities and nonprofits that provide social services on behalf of the government. This is how many public-private partnerships functionin the U.S.

-The documents shown in the image are simply public records of federal grants, not proof of “illegal” activity. The government routinely funds religious-affiliated charities like Catholic Charities, Jewish Family Services, and Lutheran Social Services as long as they provide non-religious aid.

-Demonizing religious charities is an attack on community service itself. Many of these groups fill critical gaps in social services, helping veterans, the homeless, and victims of trafficking. LSS and similar organizations do the work that the government often can’t do alone.

This is just another baseless conspiracy theory designed to mislead people. Don’t fall for it.
Always check sources before spreading misinformation.”

I’ll add that Lutheran Services in America is listed on the Forbes 2024 list of top charities and is rated Gold for transparency by Candid. 1 in 50 Americans are touched by an organization that is part of the network of Lutheran Services in America. Altering the funding they receive for the work that they do could be detrimental to tens of thousands of Americans.

I share this with you not from a political posture or stance, but merely to provide accurate information about charities that we support that are doing Gospel work in our country and our communities.


I pray that we remain vigilant about the claims we encounter on social media and news
outlets, and that we may always seek the truth, together, in Christ’s name.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Robert